Frant Court abuse scandal claims another victim
The Frant Court abuse scandal has claimed another victim, R.I.P. Stephen Moon (1973-2018)
Today I learned my very old friend Stephen Moon had died. I am utterly heartbroken, and I’m blaming his death on the Frant Court abuse scandal that has still not been adequately investigated, or resolved.
I first met Stephen when he was known as Lorna Waterworth, and I was working as a residential social worker at Frant Court–which at that time, was a “care” home for girls, based in the village of Frant, just outside of Tunbridge Wells in Kent.
The majority of girls who ended up residing at Frant had been labeled by the system as “troubled” as they had been through a number of different foster placements, and different children’s homes, and had a history of absconding or displaying what the system would call “anti-social” behavior.
Every one of these girls had an absolutely heartbreaking case history, many had been badly sexually or physically abused as very young children, taken from their parents and placed into the “care” system, where many were abused yet again.
The person who recruited me for the job was a friend of a friend, his name is Jimmy Boyes, and he is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence for two counts of rape and 13 indecent assaults on the young girls we were supposed to be caring for at Frant Court.
One of the 14 to 17-year-olds Boyes abused, twice attempted suicide, while another is now permanently housed in a mental institution.
But, the Frant Court abuse scandal goes even deeper, authorities are currently trying to track down two other male “carers” who worked at the facility at the same time, who are believed to have also sexually abused girls who were supposedly in our care.
Not surprisingly, given their history, the girls were very vulnerable, but many would appear to be “tough as nails” and some could be potentially violent and incredibly manipulative–Lorna would definitely fall into that category.
At the time I worked at Frant I was only just 18-years old myself, so not much older than the girls living at the home, and for some reason, Lorna, who was in fact, only 3-years younger than I—formed a close bond with me.
We both loved Prince, reggae, rare soul, and dub, we both adored dogs, and horror movies, we shared a very similar sense of humor, and both were avid football supporters–me Spurs, Lorna a die-hard Chelsea devotee.
We often joked that when Lorna was an adult we would meet up somewhere and drink some fuzzy pubes–a name we came up with for the cocktail of peach schnapps mixed with champagne.
I left Frant Court after having worked there for just 18 months or so, as I found it too emotionally taxing to deal with at the age I was at the time and found myself unable to “control” some of the more troubled girls that lived there.
I lost contact with Lorna, but we connected through Facebook years later, and I learned Lorna had transitioned to Stephen Moon.
Like many of the residents of Frant, Stephen had a very limited support system after leaving “care”, he actually had no family to care for him or look out for him, at all, and he also had a myriad of health problems, in addition to suffering from deep emotional trauma, and anger management issues.
Towards the end his health problems had accelerated to the point where he was in significant and constant pain, he had to use a mobility scooter to get around, and was concerned that he was going to have to have one of his feet amputated due to complications from diabetes.
He still found time though to look after his beloved dogs Monsta and Bodie, but eventually had to make the heartbreaking decision to rehouse Bodie because he could no longer care for him.
Over the years, Stephen’s Facebook statuses became angrier and angrier, and I would frequently direct message with him during which he would rant and rage for literally hours.
I’ve been caught up in my own shit so much though for the past few months, that I neglected to check in with him, to see how he was doing, or to even just leave a stupid meme on his FB page that I knew he would find funny.
Today I discovered he died at the beginning of August. He was 45-years old.
Stephen was found in his home by a friend. The autopsy results are still pending, so the cause of death is unknown, however, I suspect the cause to be an overdose of pills–either accidental or deliberate, the latter of which I hope not.
Either way, Stephen is not in pain anymore, he is not suffering physically or emotionally, his anger has gone, he is finally safe, forever, and, if there is such a thing as heaven I like to think of him sitting up there, in between Prince and Bob Marley enjoying a big old fat spliff, and a fuzzy pube or two.
I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart and my soul for everything you went through Stephen, I am so sorry for all the suffering, I am so sorry for all the trauma, I am so sorry you died alone, in pain, scared and angry. I’m so incredibly sorry I didn’t reach out to you in the past few months.
I am so sorry to all of the girls at Frant Court for not protecting you from Jimmy fucking Boyes, and for not caring for you better. I am so so very sorry.
I love, and I loved you, Stephen Moon–and Lorna Waterworth–Rest in Peace darling. I swear that I will never, ever forget you.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault or abuse, or wish to learn more on the subject, check out these resources:
NAPAC–supporting recovery from child abuse
Check out past interviews, and subscribe to my YouTube channel here
Keep coming back to get my take on pop culture, entertainment, travel, and news stories, and follow me on Twitter, and Instagram
0 Comments Add a Comment?